Interlocking tiles.



No. 799,259. PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905. J. H. PERRIN.

INTERLOGKING TILE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 29, 1904.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR I jmcslcferrzn El 4 mm ATTORNEYS UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. PERRIN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JACOB F.KNEPPER, OF MARION, INDIANA INTERLOCKING TILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed October 29,1904. Serial No. 230,467.

To (r 71 whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. PERRIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Interlocking Tiles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in interlockingtiles.

The object of the invention is to provide interlocking tiles formed of asuitable plastic material so constructed and arranged when they areplaced in position that their interlocking portions will formweathertight joints.

Another feature lies in tiles constructed in upper and lower sets soformed and shaped as to have their lower faces lying in the same plane,and thus forming a continuous contact with the roof or other structureupon which they are placed.

Finally, the object of the invention is to provide tiles of thecharacter described that will be strong, durable, and efficient in theirpurposes and simple and comparatively inexpensive to construct andapply.

\Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of thenovel details of construction and operation, a preferable embodiment ofwhich is described in the specilication and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a number ofthe tiles in position. Fig. Qis a longitudinal vertical sectional viewtaken on the line :0 :r of Fig. I. Fig. 3 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken on the line '1 ;1 of Fig. I. Fig. & is alongitudinal vertical sectional view taken on the line .2' of Fig. l andshowing the tiles of the upper set in elevation. Fig. 5 is an under sideview of one of the upper tiles, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of oneof the binding-staples which is secured in each of the upper tiles.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the upper tiles, while thenumeral 2 designates the lower tiles. The tiles may be made of anymaterial, form, and dimensions. However, for the purposes ofillustration I have shown my tiles constructed in' the usual diamondshape. The tiles 1 of the upper set are each formed with raised androunded sides 2' a 5 portion of which overhang the sides of the tilebody. The overhanging portions are formed on their under sides withgrooves 3 and terminate short of the lower surface of the tile 1, asshown in Fig. 3, for the purpose hereinafter described. Each tile 1 isformed with a tongue portion at at one end, having a transverselocking-rib 5 upon its upper surface, and at its other end and underside with a shouldered cut-away portion 6, formed with a transversegroove 7. It is therefore seen that when several of the tiles are placedtogether the tongue and rib 5 of one tile will engage in the shoulderedrecess 6 and the groove 7 of the next tile, thus locking the tilestogether. The lower tiles 2 are formed along their sides and across oneend with upwardly-projecting ribs 8 and 9, the ribs 8 being adapted toengage in the grooves 3 of the upper tiles 1 when the tiles areassembled.

It is to be observed that the lower tiles are of such thickness as tolit snugly under the overhanging portions of the sides 2 of the uppertile, thus lying flush with the under surfaces of the tiles 1 andforming tight joints therewith, as is clearly set forth in Fig. 3. Thelower tiles 2 are also'formed with tongue portions 10, which coact withshouldered cut-away portions 11, formed on the opposite end and lowerside of the said tiles. The tile is provided with a transverse groove 12in the cutaway portion II, which is adapted to receive the locking-rib9. which extends across the end of the next adjacent tile.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the tiles are held againstdisplacement from any direction in a horizontal plane and that byallowing the upper tiles 1 and the lower tiles 2 to lie in the sameplane a continuous and solid covering is provided. In the under face ofeach of the upper tiles 1 I provide a longitudinal groove l i,transversely across which extends a metallic staple 15, which isembedded in the tile when the same is molded or formed. From this it isapparent that a suitable wire may be passed along the groove through thestaple 6, securing the said tiles in position on the roof or otherstructure upon which they are supported.

It is to be'observed that the tiles are slightly tapered lengthwise toaccommodate the lockjoints formed at the ends of the tiles. It is whollywithin the scope of my invention to ornament the tiles in variousmanners, including coloring of the same, which may be done by variousmethods, according to the material fromwhich the tile is formed.

As hereinbefore stated, one of the essential and important features ofmy invention is the arrangement and shape of the tiles whereby both theupper and lower tiles have their under faces terminating flush with eachother or lying in the same plane, thus forming a continuous and unbrokencontact with the roof or other structure on which they are supported. Itis obviously apparent that a very compact and eliicacious covering ishad and there is less chance of the tiles becoming disengaged from theirinterlocking positions by shaping them and arranging the same as I havehere' in set forth.

I do not Wish to limit myself to the exact details of constructionherein set forth, as I may make various changes in the same withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A roof structure, comprising upper tiles and lower tiles providedwith interlocking portions and having their under surfaces lying in thesame plane.

2. A roof structure, comprising lower tiles formed withupwardly-extending projections and having interlocking engagement witheach other, and upper tiles provided with overhanging portions, saidportions having interlocking engagement with the upwardly-extendingprojections of the lower tiles, and said upper tiles having interlockingengagement with each other.

3. In a roof structure, lower tiles having upwardly-extending ribs andinterlocking engagement one with the other, and upper tiles havingoverhanging grooved sides into which the said ribs of the lower tilesare adapted to engage so as to allow the under surfaces of the uppertiles to lie in the same plane as the under surfaces of the lower tiles,said upper tiles having interlocking engagement with each other.

4:.An improved tile having overhanging grooved sides, the tile beingformed at one end with a locking-tongue and at the opposite end with anundercut locking-recess.

5. An improved tile having upwardly-projecting locking-ribs along itssides and formed at one end with a locking-tongue and at the oppositeend with a locking-recess, the engaging face of the locking-tongue beingof such contour as to register with the engaging face of thelocking-recess when two of the said tiles are placed together.

6. A roof structure, comprising upper and lower sets of taperinginterlocking til-es so shaped and arranged as to have their undersurfaces lying in the same plane.

JAMES H. PERRIN.

In presence of C. C. SHEPHERD, M. B. SOHLEY.

